homemaker

We’re all starting back to regular routines right about now, and trying to gear ourselves up to stick with the plan as best we can. We’ve probably all tried all three of the options before – schedules, routines, and winging it – and found none of them satisfactory. What should we try next? So often, those first days back, when our good intentions are so strong, something happens: kids get sick, someone breaks an arm, the baby gives up on … Read More

My bedroom was a wreck. Again. I might make my bed consistently, but I just can’t keep my room clean. Maybe I should not sigh so much at the children’s bedrooms. Usually, when faced with this situation, I set aside a morning or an afternoon and dig in. I take care of everything and get the room back in order. Then, inevitably, begins the slide all over again. But this time was different. I did not finish the “clean the … Read More

Pull out the glasses, set the table, time to get ready for company. Ever noticed that funny feeling where you turn on a different persona, a different ability to handle life, at least momentarily, when you open the door or answer the phone? It shows us our actual ability to exhibit self-control. Too often, our tone and tactics with our kids do not. When we jump on them, pester and harp, then switch it off immediately if someone walks in … Read More

by Tracy Grossmann I think we tend to view people who develop recipes as sitting in a lab, using beakers and grain-measuring tools, precisely doling out the exact amount needed for perfection. If the recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon and we fudge it up to 1/2, well, the whole thing might just collapse. In reality, most of our recipes come from a time when people dumped, poured, and stirred in the same ingredients to hone their favorite dishes, learning over … Read More

We’ve all felt the exhaustion, the overwhelming sense of vague failure or defeat, the frustration of feeling like our goals are impossible. Maybe some women out there can manage, but we aren’t and cannot be. We need rest. We know we need rest. But we aren’t sure how. The only kind of rest we can even think of is a “turn it all off” sort of rest. Go away. Escape. Shut down. Stop the madness. And that’s pretty much impossible. … Read More

I remember being so weary, so tired. There was so much to do. So much to do, in fact, that it seemed a monumental task just to decide what to do. My fatigue was compounded by the fact that most of my “so much to do” was made of small, menial, basic tasks. There were dishes in the sink, crumbs on the floor, laundry everywhere. There were meals to make, which would mean more kitchen clean-up and more dishes – … Read More

Pursue hospitality, the Bible tells us; and so we open our hearts and our homes to others. First we extend hospitality – gracious service and welcoming love – to those who live in our home and then we extend it out to others God brings into our lives. But when we get our picture of what hospitality should look like from the magazine rack or HGTV, we stress out and shut down. The kind of hospitality God wants us to … Read More

Being organized seems like an elusive goal. When do you know if you’ve reached this state of bliss? For some of us, being organized feels like a moving target. We’re almost there, we think, then something changes and we’ve slid back down onto the mire. Honestly, I have not arrived at some final destination known as being organized. I know I could always be more organized than I am. Sometimes I am organized. Sometimes I am not. But rather than … Read More

My husband has worked from home for over 5 years now. The novelty has worn off and we’ve established our patterns. We’ve been married for over 17 years and get along quite well. We are, for the most part, on the same wavelength, and understand each other’s mindset, manner, and methods. We can (and do) tease each other, and we naturally pull together to accomplish desired ends (both being IxTJ personalities helps). So working from home was a smooth transition … Read More

If people are important, then homes will always be important, also. People need homes. Even if it’s a mud hut, it is a home to be “made.” Homemaking is not about displaying middle class sensibilities or acquiring appropriate seasonal decor; homemaking is about loving people in practical, tangible, daily, mundane ways. Perhaps some have ambition to become better homemakers in order to glorify themselves. If we use our houses to display personal taste, showcase our style, or even minimize personal … Read More

Hi! I’m Mystie. At Simply Convivial I write about managing a full life as a mom: not only on productivity hacks, organization tools, and homeschool curriculum, but also on cheerful attitudes and necessary habits. Together, let’s get a handle on our roles, responsibilities, and mindsets so we can flourish where we are called to serve.